Lawyers condemn Akwa Ibom assembly invasion
Lawyers for Equity and Justice (LEJ) in Akwa Ibom State has joined other Nigerians to condemn the invasion of the state assembly by the police and five All Progressives Congress (APC) members who tried to effect change of leadership.
In a statement signed by the convener, Chief G.O. Effiong, and secretary, Godwin Idobo, the group described the act as an assault to the country’s hard-earned democracy.
According to the statement, the ugly scenario, which is a total disregard for the rule of law, has threatened the peace that the state had been enjoying in the past three years.
“Events of the last few weeks in our dear state have not only been ridiculously dramatic, but have also threatened the hard-earned peace, which had hitherto enveloped Akwa Ibom as a state over the last three years. This is no thanks to the combative APC, which is the major opposition party in Akwa Ibom.
“The party is truly living up to its threat of making the hitherto peaceful state ungovernable and further unleashing its notorious federal might on the state and its people. This threat, which many disregarded, is systematically executed before our very eyes.”
This, the group opined, made caricature of the legislature, as people who are supposed to know the workings of the law are the people making nonsense of legislative system.
It added: “With this calibre of legislators, people-oriented law cannot be made for the benefit of those that elected them into office.“To add insult to injury, the leadership of the APC in the state is said to have organised a press conference where the state chairman expressed delight at the emergence of his party member as the ‘new speaker’ and called for a state of emergency to be declared in the state, which has been voted, adjudged and declared the most peaceful state in the country.”
